For the moment, in the 2027 royal wedding calendar there was only one entry: the wedding of Samuel Chatto, grandson of Princess Margaret, and Eleanor Ekserdjian. Now this figure doubles with the announcement of a new royal betrothal in the Principality of Liechtenstein. Prince Georg and Princess Maria-Nives von der Leyen have announced their engagement, and the happy news was confirmed in a press release by the parents of the 27-year-old groom, the Hereditary Prince Alois of Liechtenstein and Hereditary Princess Sophie.
For the moment, we only know that the wedding is scheduled for next summer and that it will take place in Germany, according to the release. The announcement included a photograph of the smiling couple embracing on a wooden bench. Maria-Nives, 25, is the daughter of Prince Philipp von der Leyen and Princess Elisabeth von der Leyen, both related to the German noble Leyen family.
After completing primary education at Ebenholz School in Vaduz, the capital of Liechtenstein, and at the Rheintal International School in Switzerland, Prince Georg completed his secondary education at Malvern College in England. He subsequently studied at the University of St. Gallen and at the ESCP Business School in Turin and Berlin, where he earned a degree in Management Sciences in 2023. He currently works in the field of business development in the technology sector in New York.
Maria-Nives von der Leyen was born on February 13, 2001, in Landsberg am Lech (Germany) and, after completing her studies at the Augsburg International College, finished her secondary education at the Klessheim Tourism School, near the Austrian city of Salzburg. Subsequently, the princess studied at the University of West London, where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Humanities. After spending two years in Berlin, since late 2024 she has been working at a marketing agency in Vienna.
A Betrothal Under a New Law
Liechtenstein is a small Central European country located between Switzerland and Austria, whose ruler enjoys broad political powers, unlike many of its European counterparts. Its current head of state is the sovereign Prince Hans-Adam II, 81, who has been in power since 1989. His eldest son and heir is the Hereditary Prince Alois, who has carried out most of the official duties of the royal house since 2004 as a representative of his father.
The Hereditary Prince and Princess Sophie and Alois of Liechtenstein.
Georg and Maria-Nives’ engagement comes barely a week after the small European principality amended its succession laws to allow women to ascend the throne. For 400 years, only men could govern this country with a population of just 44,000. However, the amendment will apply only to those born in the future, meaning all current princesses are excluded.
Alois announced the changes to the succession laws on August 15, Liechtenstein’s national day. “The order of succession passes from male primogeniture to absolute primogeniture,” the Hereditary Prince stated. “This means that in the future, the first-born, regardless of sex, will become the heir to the throne and, subsequently, a princess or prince of Liechtenstein.” His daughter, Princess Maria Carolina, remains excluded from the changes, even if something were to happen to her older brother, Prince Joseph Wenzel. Georg is now the first male child to become engaged.
Third wedding in the family
Georg of Liechtenstein’s wedding will be the third in the family within a two-year period. On August 30 of last year, Princess Maria Carolina married Venezuelan Leopoldo Maduro Vollmer. The ceremony took place at Vaduz Cathedral, and the bride wore a dress crafted from fabric featuring lace details and sheer elements, and the emblematic Habsburg tiara.
And this year, ignoring the bad omen associated with marrying on Valentine’s Day, Leopoldina of Liechtenstein and Bruno Walter, a Brazilian businessman, said “I do.” In this case, the wedding of the daughter of Prince Gundakar and Princess Marie of Orleans took place in Lisbon, and the bride opted for a simple and elegant wedding look with one curiosity: blue ballet flats.
